Charitable activities in 2024

LCO, 2024

Oregon Hospital Support

In February and June 2024, Lighthouse Center Oregon (LCO) volunteers once again prepared small grab-and-go snack bags for staff at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital in Vancouver, Washington. The volunteers had fun assembling the gift bags, and took time out to prepare and enjoy lunch, satsang, and meditation together. The hospital expressed delight and appreciation for the morale boosting gifts and immediately handed them out to staff who were working hard to meet the increasing seasonal health needs of the community.

Gift Bags for Homebound Seniors

In 2023, when LCO donated gift bags to homebound seniors served by Meals on Wheels Friendly Kitchen in Roseburg, Oregon, at least one of the seniors called LCO directly to say thanks for the gift. Similar to last year, LCO volunteers gathered again at Lighthouse Center Bakery to assemble 60 gift bags for Meals on Wheels Friendly Kitchen in Roseburg, Oregon. Inside each gift bag, volunteers placed a dessert bar, a sampler of different herbal teas, two pieces of fruit, a bar of plant-based soap, and a neck scarf or a mini-flashlight.  

The next day, Victory Webber, the director at Meals on Wheels Friendly Kitchen, warmly greeted our volunteers when they delivered the gift bags. She explained that she looked forward to handing out the gift bags to the homebound disabled seniors who had really enjoyed receiving the bags last year.

Food and Care Packages for Families in Need

In July, volunteers attending the LCO summer retreat worked on a special charitable project in collaboration with St. Francis Community Kitchen in Sutherlin, Oregon. Volunteers eagerly prepared 200 healthy and tasty meals for families in need. The meals included delicious pasta salad, flavorful Indian samosas, and fresh almond tea cake. Additionally, 60 homeless care packages were also assembled. These care packages contained handy items such as bandages, flashlights, notebooks, writing utensils, sanitizer, as well as toiletries like toothpaste, razors, tissue, shampoo, and body wash. The care packages were placed in gift bags along with a gift card, fruit, drinks, snacks, and treats. The staff at St. Francis Community Kitchen were delighted by LCO’s generosity and expressed their gratitude for the donations.

Holiday Gift Bags for Seniors

In December, LCO volunteers prepared and distributed 63 holiday gift bags with love and cheer to seniors at a Roseburg assisted living home. The gift bags contained fresh persimmon, homemade nut & raisin snack bags, three types of snack bars, herbal teas, small attractive note books, a writing pen and several bars of plant-based soap. To spread holiday cheer, our volunteers dressed up in festive costumes and delivered the gift bags door to door at the home. The senior residents smiled in pleasant surprise when they opened their door to this fun and playful gesture!